Don’t let that photo fool you. Right now, sitting in my house with the fire on full roar, I’m wearing a scarf so big I could use it as a queen-sized top sheet, and in the last three hours I’ve changed my socks two times because there’s some sort of physics-twisting microclimate inside my slippers that causes my toes to sweat so much they freeze. #science This time of year, our house stays in the shadow of the tall one next door (Jack London’s daughter built the top story so her father would have a writing studio when he stayed with her; have I ever told you that?), and this means we spend a good chunk of the year huddled in layers while outside it’s practically spring. Damn you, Jack London.

Thus, it is in the spirit of not being able to feel my fingers that I wanted to post a video Simon made of a trip we took to the beach last May. I’ve always been equipped to answer the questions “What’s the coldest you ever been?” (camping in Utah in October) and “What’s the hottest?” (New York City subway in August), but now if someone ever asks what day was the weather so absolutely perfect it felt like the whole world was encased in a soft-focus filter of temperate loveliness, I can show them this movie.

When we parked a million miles away from the beach, the wind was blowing so hard and cold we didn’t think we’d be staying long, so instead of hauling ten tons of “essential” equipment, we truncated to a blanket and some food, leaving even the kids’ swimsuits behind. As it turned out, the area at water’s edge felt like stepping into a warm bath, felt as if the air were attached to an extra-smart thermostat that hasn’t been invented yet, the kind that regulates the ambient temperature according to a person’s body temp and mind temp[erament]. It was one of those feel-nostalgic-about-the-moment-you’re-currently-living-in situations. Those are the gems I collect to fill my mental jewelry box. This is the jewel I’ll pull out whenever it’s 59 degrees inside the house.

NB: Please to be overlooking the fact that the song is “By the Sea” when we are, in fact, by the bay, and also that the song is about taking a quick vacation from the daily, literal grind of murdering random people for the purposes of mincing them into pie meat. If it bothers you, press mute and put on some Debussy or something.

Now that I’m well into my Weight Watchers journeyexperienceadventure lifestyle-changeapalooza, I thought I’d write about the actual mechanics of making the transition from following a free-for-all “see-food” diet to being more mindful about what I’m eating (and when and why). To be blunt, it’s… not easy. But it’s also not terrible, provided I regularly remind myself that I’m playing a long game rather than following the Brat Diet, which, I don’t know what you’ve heard, but it does not actually stand for “bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast.” It means adhering to the Veruca Salt Code of Behavior, i.e., I want what I want when I want it.

During my first coaching session, Betsy helped me come up with one specific, measurable goal to work on for the first week, and the thing that came immediately to mind was my beloved bowl of late-night cereal, may she rest in peace on alternate days. The thing with the cereal is that I know it’s not ideal to eat right before bed, and I know if I’m actually hungry there are better choices to make than something sugary, and I know it’s more about comfort of habit than hunger anyway, but mmmmmmmm, it’s so good and I so look forward to it and I so have amassed an impressive variety of justifications for why it’s not that bad, so yes, what I’m saying is giving up a bowl of Raisin Bran is My Struggle.

This… well, it’s not the sort of thing I imagine comes up too often in a traditional Weight Watchers meeting. And that is exactly why personal coaching is brilliant, especially for those of us with special-snowflake needs that include aspiring to triumph in the daily mano a mano with a breakfast food. Having dedicated one-on-one support through a personal coach means the Weight Watchers program is about ME rather than about general issues common to a larger group, and this makes the whole thing feel like a worthy use of my time and effort.

Thus my goal for Week 1 was to replace one bad habit (cereaaaaalll) with one good habit (a big glass of carbonated citrus water) for four nights out of seven, and when I first wrote it out I was like, “Please. This is nothing,” but then it turned out to be more than nothing, (a) because it meant getting real with myself and being held accountable to someone else for once, and (b) because delicious habits are hard to break. (Wouldn’t that make a great copy line? “Weight Watchers: Because delicious habits are hard to break.” Call me, Weight Watchers! Oh, wait.)

That’s another thing: I really appreciate that Weight Watchers not only acknowledges that changing food habits is hard work but it puts that message front and center. (I wasn’t asked to share this video, I just really like it.)

The good news is that the hard stuff is mostly mental, at least for me, at least right now. The system itself is easy to understand (NB: counting points is not the same as counting calories; revelation!), and my coach helps by bringing a positive, encouraging voice to the table. Yes, it adds a bit of fussiness to measure and calculate everything when you’re first getting started (did you see my wine in a measuring cup?), but for someone like me who eats a pretty narrow selection of food (I would make an excellent house pet), I had much less of that to do after just the first week, especially as I became familiar with where my points went during the day and with what constitutes a reasonable portion, e.g., maybe not a third serving of rice. (Me: “Brown rice is healthy! I shall eat three heaping cups of healthiness!” Weight Watchers Me: “NO.”)

So far the PointsPlus system has given me a new perspective on how to balance my nutrition throughout the day and is constantly, rewardingly, making me ask myself, “Is this where I want to spend my points, or would I rather have an actual treat later on?” I mean, when a microwave lasagna is as many points as a glass of wine and a handful of chocolate chips, I find it much easier to have a salad for lunch instead.

Now, I love salads, but sometimes I need something warm and comfort-foody, especially when it’s 64 degrees inside the house, and I’ve found Weight Watchers helpful with that too. My first WW recipe (I found it online but was able to cook from it using the awesome app) was a hit; we ate it for dinner one night and lunch the next day, and then Simon said he’d make a special trip to the store so I could whip up another batch immediately. I’d never even heard of wheat berries (pro tip: they’re not berries), and now they’re one of my favorite things. I have another pot of Weight Watchers Wheat Berry Minestrone in the crockpot right now and am saving my points so I can have more than one serving.

For those who are interested, whether you’re officially on Weight Watchers or not (yet), I’m pinning other Weight Watchers recipes as well, and I’d love to know if you’ve tried or plan to try any of them. Share your delicious, delicious wisdom! Don’t be a brat.

Do you have a favorite Weight Watchers recipe? Or any tips for staying on track when it comes to being mindful about what you eat? Leave a comment below for a chance to win a one-month Weight Watchers membership and a Weight Watchers prize pack.

This post was created as part of a relationship in which I was sponsored by Weight Watchers and given a free three-month subscription to try their new Personal Coaching product and write about my experience. Although I was compensated for my time and commitment, all views, positive and negative, are my own.

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“If you kinda do it, it kinda works. If you really do it, it really works.”

That’s the quote I see when I log in to my Weight Watchers Personal Coaching dashboard. I got to pick it from about ten others — from cheesy to take-no-prisoners-warrior-woman — as I was filling out my baseline assessment (age, height, current weight, weight-loss goal, special challenges, favorite Beatle (no), etc.) so my coach would know what she was getting herself into. I chose the quote that spoke to me in the moment, but now I see I also chose the one that was the most logical and mathematical while still being casual. It was the most me. I’ll say that’s a pretty good start for a program that aims to create a customized plan specific to my exact needs and personality.

As far as the mechanics went, getting set up in the system, completing the online assessment, choosing a coach, and scheduling my first phone session was ridiculously easy and took about ten minutes. You can do it faster if you have better recall of all your most delicious vices.

I think I eventually added cheese, tortillas, white rice, and black tea with milk and sugar because danger is my middle name.

When the assessment was complete, I picked a day and time for my first call, and that pulled up about a dozen different coaches to choose from. I could see their faces, mini-bios, and a few other details, which made it possible to screen them for things like pounds lost on Weight Watchers, location, and perkiness/non-perkiness, all of which could influence how well I feel I’m able to connect to them on a personal level. My coach (hi, Betsy!) works in branding, seemed down to earth, and has not only lost weight and kept it off using Weight Watchers but has also been a WW leader at local meetings, which put my mind at ease since I was a little afraid my coach was going to be more of a cheerleader than an actual resource, if that makes sense.

So far she’s been a little bit of both, and in good proportion. She was able to walk me through the PointsPlus system (very helpful, since the website is packed with information and can be overwhelming/intimidating (intimiwhelming?) if you’re just starting out), and it was nice to hear she’d taken the time to read over my assessment beforehand so we could hit the ground running. Over the course of our thirty-minute conversation there were several points at which she was able to tell me how my situation and hers overlapped, which was helpful and nice to hear.

The most pleasant surprise for me was learning that although my coach is available to answer questions about the system in general, her role isn’t necessarily to tell me exactly what will work for me but rather to ask the right questions so I can find my own answers that will lay out the path ahead. It would obviously be a lot easier if I could just follow a vague plan designed for a group, or if I could simply ask Betsy what to eat and she could give me a list of dos and don’ts. But what I’ve found is that, as uncomfortable as it can be, this method of guidance over instruction makes way more sense. I mean, if the goal of personal coaching is to create a personalized action plan, the best answers will come from the actual person herself, right? I imagine this technique also helps participants get more educated about nutrition, take more control of their individual weight-loss process, and feel more invested in the outcome than if they simply followed a prescribed diet plan, which you could get from a thousand other sources if that’s all it took.

I’m a few days into my new action plan, and although there’s been some longing looks at second helpings and a fair amount of arguing with my phone when the Weight Watchers app shows me a high point value for something I’d always considered healthy (I shall miss you, heaping plate of roasted sweet potatoes!), I really feel like I’m off to a good start. Next week I’ll talk a bit more about my experience actually putting the plan into action, including what I’m finding easy and fun and what I’m finding harrrrrd.

Anyone out there have experience losing weight either with or without a support system (even if that means a single person encouraging you from the sidelines)? I have high hopes that being held accountable for my choices is going to make a huge difference for me.

For a chance to win a one-month membership to Weight Watchers and a prize pack to go with it, leave a comment below (you only have two weeks, so do it today!) in response to this question: What healthier commitments are you willing to tackle this year?

***

This post was created as part of a relationship in which I was sponsored by Weight Watchers and given a free three-month subscription to try their new Personal Coaching product and write about my experience. Although I was compensated for my time and commitment, all views, positive and negative, are my own.

You can also find Weight Watchers on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. If you’re interested in the Personal Coaching program and want to learn more about finding your very own Betsy, check out an upcoming #HealthyMatchUp event in a city near you (NYC, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, and LA) to speed-chat with coaches one on one. More information can be found here.

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For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

No purchase necessary to enter or win. A purchase will not improve your chances of winning. Void where prohibited by law. Open to legal residents of the 48 contiguous United States and D.C. (“Territory”) who are 18 years of age or older. Void outside the Territory. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Twitter makes no endorsement of this promotion nor is involved with the promotion in any way. Sponsor: BlogHer, Inc., 1301 Shoreway Road, Suite 340, Belmont, CA 94002. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 72 hours to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.